Liposuction cannula with abrading apertures

ABSTRACT

A liposuction cannula with abrading suction apertures and a method of using a cannula with abrading suction apertures are disclosed. The liposuction cannula comprises: a hand-holdable housing having a cavity; a cannular tube having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the cannular tube being insertable within the cavity; and a plurality of abrading suction apertures about the cannular tube distal end. The abrading suction apertures can be arranged in a variety of configurations, for example, axially about the distal end of the cannular tube, radially about the distal end of the cannular tube or angularly about the distal end of the cannular tube. The abrading suction apertures include a hole, and an abrading member which may be a raised leading edge, a depressed trailing edge, or both a raised leading edge and a depressed trailing edge.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] (Not Applicable)

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

[0002] (Not Applicable)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates in general to liposuction devices, and inparticular to a liposuction cannula having abrading suction apertures.

[0004] Employment of liposuction procedures to remove unwanted fat hasdeveloped over the past approximately 20 years. Initially, generalanesthesia was an absolute requirement in order to introduce largecannulas into the affected tissue. Typical cannulas were blunt-tipped,and had diameters of 6-10 mm and cross-sectional areas 9-25 timesgreater than cannulas available today. Common adverse effects includedexcessive bleeding, prolonged recovery time, and skin disfigurement.

[0005] While the above-described devices and technique are still used bysome physicians, many dermatologic surgeons now employ a method broadlyknown as a tumescent technique which eliminates the requirement ofgeneral anesthesia. The term “tumescent technique” means delivering arelatively large volume of a very dilute solution of a local anestheticagent and a vasoconstrictor agent to the site of liposuction. Thus, thefat removal site is both anesthetized and vasoconstricted so thatminimal pain and minimal bleeding occur during the procedure.Concurrently, a small open-tip cannula, generally having a diameter ofup to about 2 mm to 3 mm and referred to as a “cannula”, is employed fortravel through a small incision and positioning at the site of fatremoval. Typically, the prior cannula has an open proximal endattachable to a vacuum source to thereby draw lipid substrate throughone to three openings at the tip of the cannula and thereafterproximally to the vacuum source. Typically, the cannula is introducedinto the fat layer and axially reciprocated to abrade the fat from thetissue and subsequently allow the fat to be aspirated from the patientvia suction.

[0006] Although the advances described above have greatly reduced thetrauma involved in liposuction procedures, a need still exists for asystem and method that aids in completing the liposuction procedure morequickly and with less trauma to the patient.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention is directed to a liposuction cannula havinga plurality of abrading members and a method of using a cannula with aplurality of abrading members. The liposuction cannula comprises: ahand-holdable housing having a cavity; a cannular tube having a distalend and a proximal end, the proximal end of the cannular tube beinginsertable within the cavity; and a plurality of abrading suctionapertures about the cannular tube distal end.

[0008] In accordance with other aspects of the invention, the abradingsuction apertures are arranged axially about the distal end of thecannula. Alternatively, the abrading suction apertures are arrangedradially about the distal end of the cannula. As yet anotheralternative, the abrading suction apertures are arranged angularly aboutthe distal end of the cannula.

[0009] In accordance with further aspects of the invention, a method ofperforming liposuction at an adipose tissue site comprises: providing tothe tissue site a tumescent quantity of a solution comprising aclinically effective dosage of a local anesthetic and a vasoconstrictor;providing a liposuction cannula, the liposuction cannula having a distalend and a proximal end, the distal end of the cannula having a pluralityof abrading suction apertures; placing the liposuction cannula withinthe adipose tissue site and attaching its proximal end to a vacuumsource; and activating the vacuum source while longitudinally moving thecannula forward and backward within the tissue site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] These as well as other features of the present invention willbecome more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cannula inserted within tissuecontaining lipid substrate;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cannula of FIG. 1 attached toa vacuum source;

[0013]FIG. 3 shows an axial arrangement of the abrading suctionapertures of the cannula shown in FIG. 2;

[0014]FIG. 4 shows a radial arrangement of the abrading suctionapertures of the cannula shown in FIG. 2;

[0015]FIG. 5 shows a cross section view of a second embodiment of acannula having abrading suction apertures comprising a hole and atrailing edge;

[0016]FIG. 6 shows a cross section view of a third embodiment of acannula having abrading suction apertures comprising a leading edge anda hole; and

[0017]FIG. 7 shows an angular arrangement of the abrading suctionapertures of the cannula shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a cannula 10 and the use thereof withinadipose tissue 22. In particular, the cannula 10 is attached to a handle24 which is attached to tubing 26 functioning as a vacuum sourceattached at its other end to a vacuum pump (not shown). The handle 24may have a conventional thumb-controlled hole 28 such that vacuum ismaintained when a user's thumb 30 covers the hole 28 and disappears whenthe thumb 30 is lifted. The cannula 10 is introduced into tissue 22 tothereby remove lipid substrate.

[0019] Cannula 10 of the present invention includes a plurality ofabrading suction apertures 14 that aid in quickly loosening the tissuein order to minimize trauma to the patient during a liposuctionprocedure. Preferably, the abrading suction apertures 14 each have ahole, a raised leading edge and a depressed trailing edge as shown inFIGS. 3, 4 and 7. However, it will be appreciated that the abradingsuction apertures 14 may each have only a hole and a depressed trailingedge as shown in FIG. 5 or only a hole and a raised leading edge asshown in FIG. 6. It will also be appreciated that a given cannula 10 mayuse a combination of types of abrading suction apertures 14.

[0020] The abrading suction apertures 14 can be arranged in an axialconfiguration as shown in FIG. 3 or in a radial configuration as shownin FIG. 4. It will be appreciated that virtually any configuration ofabrading suction apertures 14 can be used, for example an angularconfiguration such as that shown in FIG. 7. It will also be appreciatedthat the orientations of the abrading suction apertures 14 may all bethe same, or may alternate in various combinations to alter the raspingeffect achieved by the abrading structures 14 of a particular cannula.

[0021] Methodology for removing lipid substrate from tissue includesfirst conventionally providing to the tissue site a tumescent quantityof a solution comprising a clinically effective dosage of a topicalanesthetic and a vasoconstrictor. Thereafter, the proximal open end ofcannula 10 is attached to the vacuum source tubing 26 through the handle24. The cannula 10 is then placed within adipose tissue 22 as known inthe art through a small incision 32 leading through the skin to the siteof the adipose tissue. Once the cannula 10 is in place, the vacuumsource is activated and the surgeon grasps the handle 24 as shown inFIG. 1 and controls vacuum delivery through thumb coverage of the thumbhole 28 described above, preferably while moving the cannula forward andbackward within the tissue 22 at the site of the adipose tissue. Suchmovement provides additional rasping force by the abrading suctionapertures 14 on the adipose tissue and thereby facilitates adiposytedisassociation from surrounding fibrous tissue. Adipose tissue entersthe interior of the cannula tube through the apertures 14 for finalremoval. Multiple sites are treated through multiple small incisions aswould be recognized in the art.

[0022] While an illustrative and presently preferred embodiment of theinvention has been described in detail herein, it is to be understoodthat the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied andemployed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed toinclude such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A liposuction cannula comprising: a) ahand-holdable housing having a cavity; b) a cannular tube having adistal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the cannular tubebeing insertable within the cavity; and c) a plurality of abradingsuction apertures about the cannular tube distal end.
 2. The liposuctioncannula of claim 1, wherein the abrading suction apertures are arrangedaxially about the distal end of the cannular tube.
 3. The liposuctioncannula of claim 1, wherein the abrading suction apertures are arrangedradially about the distal end of the cannular tube.
 4. The liposuctioncannula of claim 1, wherein the abrading suction apertures are arrangedangularly about the distal end of the cannular tube.
 5. The liposuctioncannula of claim 1, wherein the abrading suction apertures comprise: a)a hole; b) a raised leading edge; and c) a depressed trailing edge. 6.The liposuction cannula of claim 1, wherein the abrading suctionapertures comprise: a) a hole; and b) a raised leading edge.
 7. Theliposuction cannula of claim 1, wherein the abrading suction aperturescomprise: a) a hole; and b) a depressed trailing edge.
 8. A method ofperforming liposuction at an adipose tissue site, the method comprising:a) providing to the tissue site a tumescent quantity of a solutioncomprising a clinically effective dosage of a local anesthetic and avasoconstrictor; b) providing a liposuction cannula having a distal endand a proximal end, the liposuction cannula having a plurality ofabrading suction apertures about the distal end of the cannula; c)placing the liposuction cannula within the adipose tissue site andattaching its proximal end to a vacuum source; and d) activating thevacuum source while longitudinally moving the cannula forward andbackward within the tissue site.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein theabrading suction apertures are arranged axially about the distal end ofthe cannula.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the abrading suctionapertures are arranged radially about the distal end of the cannula. 11.The method of claim 8, wherein the abrading suction apertures arearranged angularly about the distal end of the cannula.
 12. The methodof claim 8, wherein the abrading suction apertures comprise: a) a hole;b) a raised leading edge; and c) a depressed trailing edge.
 13. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the abrading suction apertures comprise: a) ahole; and b) a raised leading edge.
 14. The method of claim 8, whereinthe abrading suction apertures comprise: a) a hole; and b) a depressedtrailing edge.